White Wine » Spanish White Wine

Ah, Spain! So long the dozy runt of the European wine litter. Resting on their laurels, for decades there appeared to be little inclination for experimentation. National treasures – those indigenous grape varieties of long standing and extremely high quality – were left under-exploited. The best soils' vineyards were barely worked and no one had any interest in exploring the untapped potential of the place.

What a difference a few years can make! Spain is now one of the most exciting wine producing nations of the world. Witness, for starters, the rebirth of such regions as Priorato and Bierzo, such grapes as Verdejo and Mencia. Samples the delights of newly explored and exploited vineyards in areas such as Castilla y Leon.

One can find classics here, of which Rioja is, of course, the most famous. But the real thrill lies in the ambition of the new generation of wine growers, determined to make wines of real quality and, above all, place. Don that deerstalker and start your investigation!